Q. When you are in Guapea and the caller calls out "Pasea y Complicate," what move do you do before you start the Pasea part of this rueda move?
A. You do an Enchufa. This gets the lady to your right side so that you can initiate the Pasea part of Pasea y Complicate.
Q. What is the difference between an outside turn
and an inside turn?
A. Follower turns are described as "outside" or "inside." An outside turn is a right turn for the follower. An inside turn is a left turn for the follower. The terms "outside" and "inside" are used instead of "right" and "left" to avoid confusion, since a follower's right turn (outside turn) is to the leader's left.
If you should be leading, learn how to lead correctly. If you should be following, learn how to follow properly. The reality is: The better your technique and the more you pay attention to detail, the more fun you can have with partner work.
by Don Miguel - Sydney, Australia
Stepping on Salsa
Que Sopa Magazine's hot new column!
If you don't want the lady to turn, keep your hands low. Many women get confused and turn by themselves as soon as you raise your hand. That shouldn't be the case, if she knows the fundamentals to following. However, keeping this in mind might help you become a smoother lead.
DJ Alert: Here are some capital "S" CDs to set any dance floor on fire!
1. La Sonora Ponceña - On Target
2. Ismael Miranda - Tequila Y Ron
3. Melcochita - The First Family Of Salsa - Lita Branda & Melcochita
4. King Bongo - Fiebre De Salsa Y Boogaloo
5. Jimmy Delgado - Salsa Con Dulzura
6. Yuri Buenaventura - Salsa Dura
7. Azabache - Azabache
8. Conjunto Colores - Con Colores Se Goza
9. Quinto Mayor - Montuno Al Piso
10. Africando - Martina
If you want more dances, stand up near the front, make yourself more visible, get into moving to the music, and try a little eye contact and a smile (not too much, 'cause you know guys can't handle intimacy!). Maybe even give the guys a helping hand by asking one at your level to dance, so that others see you want to be out there dancing instead of just sitting in a corner. Something else to remember: If you arrive, leave, and spend the whole evening mostly with one guy, even if he's "just a friend", many possible partners will not approach you to dance because they'll think he's your boyfriend and you're sticking with him for the evening. So if you want people to ask you to dance, it's best to roam around a bit or hang out with different people during the evening so that guys will perceive you as more available.
Salsera's Corner
Salsa Karma
Do you know how those great dancers you see got to be so good? They didn't do it all on their own. Everyone starts out as a beginner at some point. If each of us danced only with someone at our own level, our progress would be limited. Big advances in skill and technique result from practice and experience with more advanced dancers. Wouldn't it be fair to say that more advanced dancers help you grow? So would it then behoove you to take the time to dance with beginners and others who are not quite at your level? This is my concept of "dance karma." You can't just keep taking from the advanced dancers; at some point, you must also give back to those who are just starting out.
What's that? I can hear some of you thinking: "But I don't want to dance with him/her because I already have, and they were spectacularly bad!" The thing is, that might have been a long time ago, and they may have improved since then. Aren't you curious to find out? And just in case they haven't, maybe someone hasn't told them what to fix or how to fix it. If you know what it is and they don't, please tell them how to improve, but tell them nicely. Just remember that maybe they already know, and they are working on it with you.
So get out there for a challenge dance. Don't be shy to ask; the worst that can happen is he or she says no. If so, get out there and give someone else a challenge dance; they'd probably be too shy to say no. This advice goes to both guys and girls; it is the 21st century, after all. Practice with a beginner to pay for the privilege to practice with an advanced partner. And don't forget: If you do get your challenge dance, you are allowing the advanced partner the chance to dance with a relative beginner and pay back their former challenge dances!
As salseros, we are all musicians and artists. How we hear the music dictates the masterpiece that we paint with our bodies. Knowing the song (i.e., pauses, breaks, dips, valleys and beats) helps us determine how to paint our salsa work of art. The piano player is not allowed to play his instrument off beat. The drummer is not allowed to play his instrument off beat. We, as dancers, are not allowed to play our instruments (our bodies) off beat. When you hear a song 50 times, you begin to hit the accents and do special moves that go along with what's happening in the song. As you listen to more salsa music and understand different beat patterns, you will begin to anticipate accents and other elements in songs that you've never heard! As your body becomes trained, you won't have to think about dancing on beat -- you'll FEEL it. I always hear people say that certain dancers "flow" with the music. I've never heard anyone say that about someone who was dancing off beat.
FEATURING
Dance instructors and companies from Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Boston, plus many more to be announced.
-More than 50 workshops featuring Salsa on 1 & on 2, Ladies' Styling, Mens' Footwork, Partnering, Bachata and more.....
-Dance shows from the best dance companies in the world, along with dance contests and some very special surprises from Al Liquid Silver himself. If you attended the San Francisco Salsa Congress, you know what awaits you. But this time, it's even better!
